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ITV bosses are furious over Phillip Schofield’s claim that he would have been treated differently if he had had an affair with a woman rather than a man.
The disgraced presenter who left the channel after lying about his relationship with a much younger This Morning colleague said on his new reality show that he would have been “patted on the back” if it wasn’t a gay relationship.
However, ITV experts say it is “completely false” to suggest it would have been treated differently because it was a gay romance.
In his much-criticized television return to Channel 5’s Cast Away, Schofield refers to himself as the “ashamed and disgraced Philip Schofield, who had an affair.”
The 62-year-old said: “Interestingly, I think one or two TV presenters could have done exactly the same thing.” The difference is heterosexual. It is not unusual for there to be differences between age groups in the gay world.’
ITV bosses are furious over Phillip Schofield’s claim that he would have been treated differently if he had had an affair with a woman rather than a man.
Phillip cheated on his wife of more than 20 years, Stephanie Lowe, with a much younger man
‘That’s not that unusual in the heterosexual world, but if that had been the case for me and I had been a woman. Pat on the back. Well done, friend.
Schofield said he “regrets” and acknowledges that he “did something wrong” and “hurt the people” around him.
“I don’t know what price has to be paid or if the price paid is necessarily proportional,” he adds.
In response, a network source said: “It’s stupid for Phil to say that, and it’s just not true.” Phil lied to his colleagues, his bosses and his friends about it, it wouldn’t have mattered if it was a woman or a man.’
They add that Schofield is unlikely to work with the channel again despite his suggestions that he had been approached to appear on their reality show, I’m A Celeb. A source said: “He lied to us, it would be very, very difficult.”
ITV’s fury comes as Schofield also hints he was sacked from the network when, in fact, the first his bosses knew of his departure was in a statement to the Mail where he admitted the matter and said he left with immediate effect.
Sources at the station also say he decided to stop presenting This Morning a fortnight earlier following a row with his former co-star Holly Willoughby.
In the show, which airs from Monday, Schofield points to a trio of his former ITV colleagues and says: “I think there’s only three shits.”
The disgraced presenter who quit the channel after lying about his relationship with a much younger This Morning colleague said on his new reality show that he would have been ‘patted on the back’ if it wasn’t a gay relationship.
However, ITV experts say it is “completely false” to suggest it would have been treated differently because it was a gay romance.
‘That’s not that unusual in the heterosexual world, but if that had been the case for me and I had been a woman. Pat on the back. Well done, friend
He noted that one was a “coward who never intervened at the queue door,” while another “is a coward because he never intervened when I was hit by that journalist who thought I had gotten them fired.”
The third, according to Schofield, “is simply brand-oriented.” It’s not what you expect or what you think you’re going to get.
He also insisted he has left television and does not want to return despite filming the three-part show for Channel 5, in which he has to survive alone in Madagascar.